Breaking Rikku 3
by Kalta79
Summary: Baralai and Trophy's(Rikku) happy marriage suffers in the wake of tragedy. #Dealing with grief #Sexual content #Master/Slave #Unhealthy coping #Happy ending. This is the last few chapters from the second installment, which I wanted to flesh out into their own story. First I'm going to finish Breaking Rikku 4 though.
1. Chapter 1

"Rikku gets out of the hospital today, doesn't she?" Wakka asked Yuna and Tidus as they came over for breakfast with him and Lulu.

"Yeah, I think so." Tidus replied when Yuna didn't.

"We should do something nice for her, ya?" Wakka said. "She didn't deserve what happened."

"True, but she _is_ half a world away." Lulu pointed out with a smile, remembering how during Yuna's pilgrimage he hated Rikku just for being an Al Bhed. It made her happy that now he was the first to want to cheer her up. "How exactly do you propose we do something for her from here?"

"Why don't we ask Gippal?" Yuna finally spoke. She felt simply awful about her behavior the last time she saw her cousin, and needed to ease her conscience. "He could fly us there in no time."

"Just sign these forms please, sir." the head nurse said to Baralai, handing him a clipboard with a few papers on it. He quickly scanned each sheet before signing them and handing it back to her. "Thank you, sir. An orderly is bringing your wife out."

Baralai nodded. He remembered officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for this hospital four years ago, and now he was glad it had done so well.

"Come on, Beccie, this thing's got wheels, doesn't it? Mush!" Trophy's giggles echoed down the hall as the former Crusader pushed her wheelchair towards Baralai.

"Beclem! What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.

"My superiors felt I needed a broader outlook on life." Beclem replied sourly. "Here's your wife. She had her last required medication about an hour ago, but she'll quit being loopy soon enough." He helped her stand up and then left abruptly, muttering about having better things to do.

"Does my chariot await?" Trophy giggled again, this time at her husband.

" _Not quite." he smiled at her as he led her to the elevator and hit the button for the rooftop._

" _What's going on?" she asked._

" _You'll see." was all he would tell her. When the elevator got close to the roof, he put her hands over her eyes and warned her to not try and peek. When the doors dinged open, he carefully helped her forward out of the elevator, then removed his hands._

" _SURPRISE!" all her dearest friends shouted from the deck of a small airship parked on the rooftop of the hospital._

" _What is all this?" she asked them when she and Baralai joined them on the deck. Tidus and Wakka were holding balloons, and Nooj and Solace were holding a sheet cake that said_ _ **GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK**_ _!, as Lulu and Yuna stood next to a little table, arranging the presents on it._

" _Something for you two to relax in while your house is being repaired." Gippal explained. "After all, you guys never had a proper honeymoon thanks to Mr. Workaholic here," Gippal paused to poke Baralai in the arm. "And it's almost your first anniversary. Just don't tell Cid. I kinda…borrowed it from him."_

"A honeymoon." Trophy groggily repeated, then realized she was waking up in a bed that wasn't her own or the hospital's. "Where am I?"

"The hotel next to the hospital." Baralai replied from the table where he was immersed in paperwork. "You were giggling one moment and then out like a light the next after they released you. We can't go home yet for another couple days until the repairs are done, so this was a good second choice." He deliberately left out wanting to be close to the hospital in case any more complications arose. "How are you feeling?"

Trophy shuddered, not wanting to be close to that place, then smiled at him. "So could this be our honeymoon, Master?" she asked.

"Honeymoon?" Baralai looked sharply at her. "Are you okay?" he inquired, but anything she might have said was forestalled by a knock on the door.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"I don't know. I didn't order room service." Baralai got up and went to the door, looking through the peephole. "Well, I'll be…" he opened the door and all their friends came swarming in, carrying either balloons or food.

"I hope you're up for a party!" Tidus said. "Thought we'd try something new, it's not a welcome home party, more of a glad you're sticking around party."

"Are there presents?" Trophy asked, delighted.

"Does Lulu's special crackling cake count?" Wakka held out a plate and disposable fork to her.

"It sure does!" she replied, grabbing the plate. A very festive time ensued, until Yuna sat down on the bed next to her.

"You guys really didn't have to do all this, you know." Trophy told her.

"Yes, we did." Yuna firmly replied. "After everything…"

"Don't say it!" Trophy shrieked, interrupting her and suddenly everyone was looking at them. "I meant you didn't have to try and cheer me up. After three days in the hospital, I finally figured it out." she said in a much calmer voice. "This isn't real. It's just another weird convoluted dreamy nightmare thing. After all, I dreamed you guys threw me a party, and you have! I don't know when, but I'll wake up and everything will be fine and we'll have the big family I always wanted. I mean geez, you two wrote your own happy ending stories, and you were just a dream yourself!" she told Yuna and Tidus, ignoring the concerned pity on everyone's faces. "I'm gonna have my happy ending too, just you wait and see!" she announced brightly.

"I think my wife has had too much excitement after just getting out of the hospital." Baralai spoke into the awkward silence following her declaration. "It's probably best if you all leave now."

"Uh, yeah. We should probably get back to our…" Wakka faltered, wondering if he should mention children in front of her.

"Well, let's get you home then." Gippal told him as he and Lulu went out the door.

Tidus and Yuna were the last to leave, and she paused in front of the door. "Rikku…" she tried to offer her apology and condolences one last time.

"I told you, I'm not Rikku anymore! I'll see you again for that lunch we auctioned you two off for." she cheerfully waved goodbye to them.

Once they were alone again, Baralai sat next to her on the bed. "Trophy, do you need to go back to the hospital?"

"No, Master!" she rejected the idea immediately. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. So can we have the honeymoon while we're here? Once we have the baby, we won't have time for anything else probably." Trophy quickly changed the subject.

Baralai took a deep breath before answering. "The doctor said you need to take it easy for a few days, remember?" He turned to look at his slave wife and found she had fallen asleep again already. "Rest well, my golden Trophy." he murmured, kissing her gently on the forehead, knowing he'd have to break her heart again when she awoke.


	2. Chapter 2

"Can I go shopping at the boutique here, Master?" Trophy asked cheerfully over breakfast the next morning. "And try out some of the hotel's new spa treatments?"

"That depends." Baralai replied sternly.

"On what, Master?" Trophy's bright smile wavered briefly over the serious, almost foreboding expression on his face.

"On if you can tell me what the hurricane did to you." he told her.

"Oh, _that_. It gave me a nightmare where I lost the baby and then had to have my uterus removed because I was hemorrhaging so I couldn't ever be a mother. But I'll wake up soon and this will have never happened. I won't let you down, Master!" she said, her smile still plastered on her face.

"You only let me down by not accepting reality." he told her grimly and continued eating.

By the time the call came that their house was repaired enough to go back to, Baralai was at his wit's end on how to get through to Trophy. She persisted in believing none of this was real and if she didn't snap out of it soon, he would have to force her to get professional help, maybe even committed for a while. It galled him to the Farplane and back that she was so traumatized and he couldn't do a thing to help her. He hadn't felt this helpless since Shuyin possessed him. "Do you have all your luggage packed?" he asked her.

"Yes, Master." she replied quietly, confused as to why she wasn't looking forward to the prospect of being home again. She felt so out of sorts, especially since he hadn't touched her since she got released. He kept claiming she wasn't physically ready yet, but deep down she wondered if it was because she had failed him. She shook her head. This **had** to be a nightmare…maybe once they were home, she'd wake up in her own bed and this would just be a bad memory.

"Then let's go home." he said.

"Let's go home." she repeated without any of the enthusiasm she had during their hotel stay.

"Welcome home, Sir, Ma'am." the butler greeted them effusively as he opened the door and bowed. "Do you need any refreshments?"

"No, we'll wait until dinner." Baralai replied as Trophy looked cautiously around.

"I thought it was safe for us to be home." she said as the sounds of the workmen echoed throughout the house.

"They've fixed it up enough for us to live here again, but there's still plenty of work to be done." Baralai told her.

"Oh." Trophy reluctantly followed him up the stairs. "Why are you going that way, Master?" she asked when he turned the wrong way to go back to their bedroom.

"More work still has to be done on our room. Especially since I'm doing some upgrading while we're at it. I'm not putting you at risk again." He stopped in front of a door and unlocked it. As she walked in behind him, she recognized it as the room she had stayed in while their wedding was being arranged. "We're still short-handed, so I'd like you to put our luggage away while I go check things out." he said to her. Baralai had wanted to supervise the work done himself, but he had barely left the hospital during her stay there, and at the hotel he didn't want to leave her side when it became evident she was unstable. But there was little trouble she could get into at home. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Yes, Master." Trophy dutifully replied as she obeyed his order and started putting things away.

"Oh, and one more thing. Put this on and cover it with the complimentary robe from the hotel." he said, handing her something before kissing her cheek and leaving.

Trophy felt herself shaking at the thought of being alone. She had never been left by herself since…since the nightmare started. She looked down at her trembling hands, realizing he had given her back her slave outfit. Something inside her was screaming that she didn't deserve it as she put it on and the robe over it.

When Trophy didn't show up for dinner, Baralai hurried up the stairs to their temporary room, concerned over her lapse. Their luggage had barely been touched, and his alarm grew as he started searching room by room for her. By the time the moon rose, he still hadn't found her.

"She's not in any of the rooms? Shall we search too?" the butler asked, meaning the other servants still there, as he put the untouched dinner plates away.

"No, thank you. And yes I've checked every ro…" Baralai suddenly realized there was one room he hadn't dared to check.

Heading down the corridor, he felt stupid for not figuring it out sooner. Of course she would be drawn to the nursery, and he felt stupider still for not having it emptied and blocked off earlier. The door was unlocked, and she was standing over the crib, holding onto the sides so hard her knuckles had turned white. A shaft of moonlight shone through the window and illuminated her face as the tears ran silently down it. He took a deep breath before approaching her.

"You don't need to be here now." Baralai gently told her as he put his hands lightly on her shoulders to try and lead her out of there, but she resisted, so he just held her until she suddenly raised her head.

"I'm…I'm not going to wake up, am I?" she asked mournfully.

"No." he answered regretfully. "Neither of us are."

Trophy let go of the crib so suddenly that Baralai barely caught in her time as she collapsed. "It wasn't supposed to be this way!" she sobbed just as she had in the hospital.

"We'll deal with it in the morning. We could both use some sleep now." he said firmly as he carried her back to their bedroom. As she lay in bed with her Master's arms wrapped tightly around her, once her tears dried up, Trophy now wished she would never wake up to face the mornings to come.


	3. Chapter 3

"How are you feeling?" Baralai asked his slave wife the next morning when she woke up.

Trophy's lips trembled and her eyes watered as she remembered her new lot in life. "I'm alive." she finally replied.

Baralai frowned at her tone of voice. Now that she wasn't pretending anymore, he could expect her to be grieving for…however long it took her. "I'll be in the shower." he told her, kissing her neck before getting out of bed. "Please finish putting our luggage away before joining me downstairs for breakfast." he said when he was getting dressed afterwards.

"Of course, Master." she replied quietly and began to do as she was told.

"I'll be in my study." he said, pausing to look back at her before heading downstairs. He unlocked the study door and sat down at his desk. Before he could stop himself, he opened one of drawers and took out a short wooden box, and he just sat there staring at it, unmoving even when the butler announced a guest.

"Lady Laura is here to see you, sir." he said and bowed before returning to his other duties.

"Do you know what this is?" Baralai asked her, not taking his eyes off the box.

"A box." she replied cheekily as she walked in.

"It's the cigars I ordered to give out when Trophy gave birth to our first child." he explained, then threw it in the trash and cradled his head in his hands.

"Well, I _was_ going to ask how you're doing, but I won't bother now I guess." Laura plopped down in the closest chair and put her boots up on his desk. "So I'll warn you instead, wouldn't miss Stan's breakfast except for a good cause…you know how hard it is to keep secrets in Bevelle, especially when you're doing it alone. Word's gotten around about what happened to her, and it's whipping the wolf-sharks into a frenzy. Be careful. How is she coping?"

"I. .not very well I think. And I don't know how to help her…some Master I'm turning out to be." he admitted, unable to hide the truth from one of his oldest friends, especially since she was too perceptive to not figure it out anyway.

"Wow, I haven't seen you this unsure of yourself since I took you under my wing when you first got into our lifestyle." she commented, concern enriching her voice. "Remember our time together?"

"You mean when I was trying to figure out which role suited me best?" Baralai forced a smile. "You made it abundantly clear that I wasn't cut out to be a slave."

"No, you weren't. And do you remember what the advice I gave you then was?" she asked.

"That every relationship is different and it could take me a long time to find the right partner." he replied.

"Exactly. And I've watched you and Trophy together, it's obvious you two were made for each other. So don't ever doubt yourself, that's the worst thing you could do for her right now." she told him.

"Excuse me for interrupting, sir, but breakfast is ready." the butler announced after knocking and getting permission to enter.

"Well, that's my cue to leave. And give her time, but if you be who you've always been to her, she should come around and be who she's always been for you. " Laura stood up, then leaned over the desk and whispered in Baralai's ear. "Just don't push her too far, because I'm sure you haven't forgotten how good I am with a whip." She smiled ominously at him before heading towards the door. "Tell her I said hello and she needs to call and schedule another lunch date."

Baralai looked closely at his wife as they sat down to breakfast. She was barely touching her food, a far cry from the enthusiasm she used to have for everything. That was her prime attraction for him, and watching her grow into her new role in life as his slave wife with such enthusiasm made him so proud of her. She made coming home from work every day worthwhile, instead of being just a place to sleep and entertain.. He hoped Laura was right. "I'll be working from home for the next few days, so I'll be here for lunch as well. And you might want to check in with your new friends. Laura stopped by and wants you to call and make lunch plans." he informed her.

"Oh. Okay, Master." she replied apathetically.

"And you are to resume your usual routine tonight." he continued.

"Of course, Master." Trophy felt both relieved and anxious at the same time…he hadn't really touched her since…since she ruined everything for them, and as much as she wanted things to be normal again, she wasn't sure she deserved it.

When they entered their temporary bedroom after dinner, she obediently took her robe off and got on the bed on all fours, waiting for him to lube up.

"Good girl." he told her approvingly as he joined her on the bed. "Now tell me who and what you are."

"I'm your Trophy." she automatically replied.

"That's half of it. What are you?" he asked again.

"I'm your property." she said after thinking about it for a moment.

"Now say it in one sentence and don't stop saying it til I tell you otherwise." he commanded her.

"I'm your Trophy and your property." she kept repeating as he thrust into her. She was glad he was being gentle, her ass felt like it had never been used like this before.

"Never forget you belong to me." Baralai murmured as he got on his side on the bed and held her firmly to him.

"Never, Master." She forced herself to reply cheerfully, hiding her ugly shock. Her body had orgasmed like it was trained to, but even though she physically felt the pleasure, the loving thrill she had always felt from being dominated by him was gone. They might as well have been strangers paid to have sex…was this what was wrong with her? Now that she had failed him by being unable to have a family, had she lost her value to be anything but a piece of property?


	4. Chapter 4

"Time to get up." Baralai told her two mornings later as he stroked her hair. "You did say you had a lunch date with Solace and Laura today?"

"Yes I do, Master." she replied as he started fondling her. "Aren't you going to take your shower now?"

"Not yet." he said as he covered her body with hers. Trophy closed her eyes to trap the tears inside as he made love to her. Everything he did just reminded her of how her dream of having a large family was obliterated. His lips on her breasts that their children would never suckle from, and he took her just as he had when their lost child was conceived. Even still, she couldn't stop herself from clinging to him as her body rejoiced in being claimed by him again. She may not be worthy of being his slave anymore, but life without him…she shuddered convulsively at the thought.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked immediately, pausing mid-thrust.

"No, Master. I was just thinking of how cold it was during the hurricane." she lied, saying the first excuse she could think of.

Baralai gave her a strange look. "Is that all you were thinking of?"

"I'm sorry, Master." she said, then managed a smile. "Now where were we?"

"I'm going to take a shower now, that's where I'll be." he said, getting off her and heading towards the bathroom. He was trying to give her time, but her lying to him cut deep, and her new habit of constant apologizing and looking like she was about to cry whenever he tried to get her to talk, that was getting old fast. He remembered Laura's advice not to push Trophy too far right now, but just acting like everything was normal didn't seem to be working either. If she didn't tell him what was wrong, what was he supposed to do?

Trophy stared forlornly after him for a few moments as she felt the tears well up again. She had somehow failed him again...she just couldn't do anything right apparently, no matter how hard she tried.

"Nice outfit." Laura remarked as Trophy sat down at their table.

"Yes, you're looking well." Solace noted with relief.

"Thank you." Trophy quietly replied as she took the menu the waiter handed her.

Solace and Laura exchanged glances at their friend's lack of usual excited chatter. "So…anything new on the home front?" Laura asked her. "Is your hubby gonna raise our taxes or anything else we should know about?"

"I…I don't know. He hasn't really talked to me lately." Trophy admitted reluctantly, then quickly changed the subject. "Is there anything I shouldn't order here?"

Laura and Solace were feeling as frustrated as Baralai with their failed attempts to get Trophy to open up about anything, until a young couple with a baby took the table next to theirs and put the stroller right behind Trophy's chair. The change was immediate…a strained look came over her face, her lips pressed together so hard they almost turned white. She swallowed hard and tried to remain calm, but her hands wouldn't stop trembling as she tried to finish her meal.

"Let's tale a walk." Solace suggested as the baby started crying and Trophy was about to start as well. When Laura stood up too, she gestured for her to stay. "You already had a go at Baralai, Mistress to Master. Let me try talking to her, one slave to another." she whispered to Laura. "Tell the waiter we'll be back soon and I'm buying."

"Well, if you're paying, I'll stay." Laura relented as Solace assisted Trophy in getting away from the baby.

"I'm sorry." Trophy couldn't stop herself from sobbing.

"You have nothing to apologize for after what you've been through. How has Baralai been taking it?" Solace asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." she replied brokenly. "I'm sorry, Patrice, I just…"

"I'm only asking because even though you fixed me up with one of his best friends, and Nooj is a good man, sometimes when he gets in one of his sullen uncommunicative moods, I just want to hit him over the head with something large and heavy to remind him who he is. Not that I would trade being his for anything, you understand." Solace got a slight smile on her face as she talked about her husband. "I consider you a friend and don't like you being unhappy, and keeping things bottled up is a surefire way to keep it up. It's fine if you don't want to talk to us, but in the name of whatever you consider holy, don't stop talking to your husband. You're Al Bhed after all, and all the ones I've met never shy away from a challenge."

"I'm…I'm afraid he'll…" Trophy couldn't continue as Solace hugged her comfortingly.

"If you're afraid, you definitely need to have it out with him. I've never been afraid of my partners, but I have been used by them, and it's not right. If you want some support, we'd be willingly to be there with you when you confront him." she told her distraught friend.

"No no, it's not like that, he's never hurt me like you think." Trophy reassured her. "But if I tell him, it might come true."

She wasn't making much sense to Solace, but that just made it more obvious that she needed to open up. "Just tell him, and whatever happens, at least you can put it behind you." she said gently. "And you're not alone, no matter what."

Baralai was just about ready to have lunch himself and take a break from all the paperwork he had to catch up on, when the butler knocked on his study door to announce a visitor. "Miss Alase is here to see you, sir." the butler informed him, and she walked into his study without waiting for permission.

"What do you want?" Baralai frowned. She was one of the last people he wanted to see right now.

"What I've always wanted, of course. You." Alase smiled as she sat down in one of the chairs.


	5. Chapter 5

"I have a wife already." Baralai said calmly, though he could feel the anger boiling up inside him at her incredible gall.

"Oh, come on, Baralai. _Every_ one knows about her by now." Alase responded with a smug smile on her face. "She's damaged goods."

"If that's all you came to say, get out." he said tightly.

"After all, I know how important it is for the leader of Bevelle to present the proper image to the public, don't forget." she continued, ignoring his statement. "You need a family. I'm willing to have as many brats as you want, and I have better connections than your so-called wife does. Marrying the Al-Bhed leader's daughter might have seemed like a good idea, but all it's gotten you is a busted house and a barren wife."

Baralai shot up out of his chair, furious at her presumption. "I want you out of my house right now!" he snapped.

"Relax, darling." she drawling, casually standing up herself. "Take time to think it over and give me your answer when I show up for my lunch with your famous cousins-in-law."

" _You_ were the winner of the auction?" Baralai uttered in surprise.

"You didn't know? I guess your precious little wife just _loves_ to keep secrets from you." Alase's smile turned even more smug until an outraged Baralai grabbed her arm and dragged her to the study door, ignoring her protests. "See yourself out " he said as he shoved her out of his study and slammed the door in her face.

"Oh, am I glad you're home, Ma'am." the butler told Trophy when she returned from lunch.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. She had never seen him flustered before.

"Miss Alase was here while you were gone and when she left, I was ordered very angrily to have you go to his study as soon as you get back." the butler replied. "And he's been frequently asking if you were home yet. I've never seen him so upset."

Before Trophy could respond, the study door opened and Baralai stepped out. "Get in here **now**." he commanded her with a foreboding expression on his face she could see even as far down the hallway as he was. She obeyed, feeling a sickening sense of dread grow with each step. Was this when he finally punished her like she deserved? And what did Alase have to do with it?

"Sit!" he snapped at her once she entered the study, and he slammed and locked the door behind her. "This has gone on long enough."

"Have…have I displeased you, Master?" she asked in a small voice after she took the nearest chair.

"That depends." he truthfully answered as he took his seat behind the desk.

"On what, Master?" Trophy managed to ask, afraid as she was of the answer.

"Alase came to see me, wanting to replace you." he said indifferently. "Is there any reason I shouldn't consider her offer?"

"Is…is that finally to be my punishment, Master?" Trophy felt her heart break as he confirmed her worst fears.

"Punishment?" Baralai stared at her. "And just what do you think you should be punished for?" Was she finally going to tell him what was troubling her? He hoped so…Alase was half-right, his wife was damaged, but he wanted her restored, not replaced. Especially not by that woman…

Thinking it was too late to matter now, Trophy sobbed it all out. "Because it's my fault! I was supposed to protect our secret and our baby, and I couldn't…I killed our own child! And now I can't even have any more kids to make it up to you…I failed even while doing exactly what you told me to! If I can't do anything right even when I'm following orders…I'm…I'm no good as a slave anymore, am I?"

Controlling his own pain he felt while listening to her tearful confession, he stood up commandingly. "You forget yourself." he told her ominously as he came around his desk, stopping in front of her chair.

"Master?" Trophy wondered at the glimmer of hope she felt when he didn't agree with her right away, but it was too small to overcome the overwhelming despair she finally admitted the cause for.

"Stand up and strip." he ordered her in the same dangerously calm voice he used at work when giving unpopular commands to lesser officials..

Her hands wouldn't stop trembling as she tearfully obeyed, so it took her quite a few moments longer than usual. She expected him to demand she hurry up, but he didn't. "Now what, Master?" her voice trembling as much as her hands had.

"Tell me what you see." Baralai demanded, grabbing and placing her in front of the decorative wall mirror, so her back was facing it.

"Your name on my back, Master." she replied after turning her head enough to see the mirror.

"And what does that mean?" he wanted to know.

"That…that I belong to you." The glimmer of hope began to get a little stronger in Trophy's heart as he continued interrogating her instead of just dismissing her.

"Now what does this mean?" Baralai put his hand in front of her face.

"I don't know, Master." She looked at his wedding ring like she'd never seen it before. It was a simple mythril band, the only ornamentation being the spiral etching into the metal, and colored green to match her eyes. She felt her hope start to fade again because she couldn't give him the right answer.

"It means that I agreed to be your Master for life, just as you agreed to be my slave for life. Are you now reneging on your wedding vows?" he asked her.

"No, never! But I…" Trophy stopped when he cupped her face in his hands.

"Then tell me who decides when you are to be punished." he commanded her.

Oh. "You do, Master." Trophy's heart fluttered again. "I'm sor…"

"Stop apologizing." he told her. "I told you at least once already to never forget who you are, didn't I?"

"Yes, Master." she replied, still unsure what he had planned for her.

"Do you decide what your failures and appropriate punishments are?" he continued.

"No, Master." Trophy tried to bow her head, but he held her head up straight so he could look into her eyes.

"Then accept my word that you haven't failed me." Baralai kissed her, and she felt something heavy inside her start to break as she started to eagerly respond to him, pressing her naked body firmly against his clothed one. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, Master!" she blurted out, driven by her sudden need for his physical reassurance to echo his verbal ones.

"So be it." he said as she tugged at his clothes.

"How are you feeling?" Her Master's smugly pleased voice roused Trophy and she opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of the study in his arms. They were laying on their clothes and he was gently caressing her. She remembered his confronting her and it ending in him fucking her against the bookcases like she begged him to. She also remembered feeling something again during sex, but…

"I…I still hurt inside, Master." she honestly replied after a moment. She did, but it didn't feel quite as overwhelming as it used to.

"Thank you, Trophy." he told her.

"For what, Master?" she asked, puzzled.

"I always want you to tell me the truth about how you feel, understand?" Baralai replied.

"Yes, Master. But…" Trophy felt the sorrow start to overcome her relief again.

"You do have a lovely one." he said as he patted her firm behind. "But what?"

"How can you forgive me so easily, Master?" she wanted to know. "I thought that…"

"What did you think?" he gently prodded her for an answer, though his first thought was to remind her she had nothing to be forgiven for.

"I was scared that the reason you let them operate on me was because you knew it was my fault that our baby is dead." Encouraged by his attitude, Trophy quietly revealed the last secret that had been festering in her mind and the tears started flowing again.

"And now you know that…" Baralai deliberately let his sentence trail off.

"You'll always let me know when I need to be punished, and I need to trust you?" she finished hopefully.

"Exactly. If anyone is at fault, it's me. You took to your training so beautifully that I sometimes forget I'm the only Master you've had, and didn't make sure if you really understood how this all works once you satisfied me." he admitted.

"But, Master…" Trophy felt a bit confused.

"Yes, Masters can mistakes too, but I won't tell you anyone if you won't." he replied lightly. "And if you say 'But' one more time, I'm gonna…" he whispered something in her ear, and her expression brightened.

"Would you anyway, Master?" she asked.

"If you insist…then stand up and bend over my desk." he ordered her.

"Yes, Master." she eagerly replied.

Some time later, Trophy looked at the desk. "I think…I think I ruined some of your documents, Master." She nudged one of the papers that she had crumpled and shredded with her manicured nails during the height of ecstasy as he took her up the ass.

"I hate paperwork anyway." Baralai negligently replied as he nuzzled his slave wife's neck.

"This is where it all started for us." she suddenly remembered. "When I first asked you to teach me, Master."

"Yes, it is." he fondly tweaked her nipples in remembrance. "You changed my life that day."

"You really don't blame me for what happened, do you, Master?" Trophy couldn't help asking for more reassurance.

He turned her around to face him. " _ **Never**_." he told her unequivocally and kissed her roughly as if to silence her lingering doubts.

"But all of your…" Trophy started to say when he pushed her down onto his desk.

"I told you, I hate paperwork." he replied as he mounted her. She reacted enthusiastically, and the kernel of warmth she felt when he reclaimed her earlier was now spreading. She was finally enjoying sex again, and she couldn't have been happier. Yes she could have, Trophy reminded herself of what she had lost, but Solace had been right, she wasn't alone anymore.

"I love you, Master." she said as they clung to each other in the afterglow.

"As I love my Trophy." he replied, tenderly kissing her on the forehead.

"Come in!" Baralai said a few moments after there was a knock on his study door.

The butler walked in, trying to control his shock and his pace noticeably slowed. The room looked like fiends had been battling each other to the death in there, but there wasn't a mark on his employers. Their clothing was a bit mussed, but other than that…they were behind the desk, him sitting down as usual, her standing demurely next to him, and both looked extremely happy. "I…I wanted to inform you that dinner is ready, Sir, Ma'am." he managed to get out.

"Thank you." Baralai dismissed him, and the butler gratefully retreated to sort out his confusion. "Go wait for me, I've got make a couple calls first." he ordered his slave wife.

"Of course, Master." she hesitantly left his side.

Picking up his phone once she was gone, he hit the first of the speed dial conference call buttons. "Nooj, Gippal, we've got more work to do." he said as soon as they picked up, and went into more detail. Things both Alase and his wife had said to him today made him wonder if her injuries were the result of a random act of nature or something more sinister, and he intended to get to the bottom of it, finding out who really needed to be punished.


	6. Chapter 6

"So are you excited about tomorrow?" Tidus asked his wife as he walked into the laundry room. "Now that the hurricane damage in Bevelle is mostly cleaned up, it's time for that charity the lunch date we got auctioned off for. Baralai called to remind me. He was real peculiar about it too."

"Oh?" she replied noncommittally, taking the clothes out of the dryer and putting them in the laundry basket. They were one of the first households in Spira to have their own washer and dryer, a gift from the Machine Faction that she felt uncomfortable about accepting at first, though with a toddler son and an athlete for a husband, it certainly made Yuna's life easier.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking intently at her.

"What are you talking about?" she fired back with a question of her own, and trying to avoid eye contact. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Because I know you, and you're still a poor liar." he reminded her as he blocked her exit by standing in the doorway.

"Or maybe I just have other things on my mind sometimes besides social obligations. Now would you mind getting out of my way? These clothes won't put themselves away anymore than you will." she retorted

Tidus let her leave, idly wondering what would happen if he made a comment about how stubbornness must run in the women in her family, given how she and Rikku were. It amazed him that his wife's cousin turned out like she did, and he also wondered if Baralai was having any luck getting through to Rikku with her clinging onto false hope. Maybe that's why he sounded so funny on the phone….

"Is something wrong, Lulu?" Yuna asked when she came over to pick up Bracht from his playdate with Vidina.

"Rikku called me, wanting to know if you were okay because you hadn't been returning her calls. That's not like you." Lulu explained. "She'll need all the support she can get right now."

"I'll be seeing her tomorrow." Yuna replied. "I'm just…trying to find the right words."

"Words for what?" Lulu gently prodded her.

"To apologize." Yuna admitted reluctantly.

"Apologize for what?" Lulu asked in surprise. "What do you have to apologize for? You did everything you could to save her."

"Because I never approved of her marriage and didn't hesitate to let them know it." Yuna explained.

"Why didn't you approve?" Lulu blinked her red eyes in further surprise, then considered it for a moment. "Is it because Baralai is Praetor of New Yevon and you haven't forgotten what the old Yevon was like?"

"I don't know…maybe…I just don't like what their marriage made her become." Yuna looked around. "Where's Bracht?"

"That's a good question…it's too quiet. Let's go look for them." Lulu gracefully stood up and led the way to her son's room. "Another good question is what has she become other than a happy wife?"

"I…I can't tell you. I'm sorry Lulu, but I promised them." Yuna replied grimly.

"What could possible require such secrecy about someone's relationsh…oh." Lulu paused. "I see. Chappu had once told me about how some of the Crusaders like to enjoy themselves." She put her finger to lips before opening her son's door.

There was a sudden movement, too quick for the women to make out what it was, but something fled out the window and their sons uttered cries of frustration. "Awww, mommy, you made it run away!" Vidina complained.

"And just what was _it_?" Lulu demanded to know.

"We captured a lizard fiend and were just about to make friends with it!" Vidina told her.

"Fiends are not toys." his mother told him disapprovingly. "And look at you! You're filthy…both of you! Go clean up!"

"Yes, Mommy." the boys replied when Yuna gestured for her son to do the same. They filed out of the bedroom towards the bathroom rather sulkily.

"Come to the kitchen for some tea while they're cleaning up." Lulu suggested to Yuna, who agreed. "So why is it so hard to find words to apologize? Just say you're sorry you didn't approve…unless you still don't?" she asked while pouring the tea.

"I…I don't know. I do know I don't want to hurt her anymore, but that's not the worst of it." Yuna said as she took her cup of tea.

"What's the worst?" Lulu sat down and took a sip of her own tea.

"When…when she first told me she was pregnant, I…my first thought was that they shouldn't be allowed to have children." Yuna revealed with difficulty.

"No wonder you feel guilty. That's not like you, Yuna." Lulu took another sip of her tea.

"I know, and that's why I don't know how to apologize for it." Yuna said with a heavy sigh.

"Well, if you truly want to make amends…" Lulu stood up and took a brochure off the refrigerator and handed it to Yuna as their now clean sons came into the kitchen. "Someone was handing these to people outside the merchant's hut today, and I was going to ask you to give it to Rikku anyway. You were once willing to give your death for Spira, maybe it's time you gave life for your family."

"Thanks, Lulu, for everything." Yuna quickly scanned the brochure,.

"You're always welcome here. Same time tomorrow?" Lulu asked the high summoner.

"Oh, no, I'll be in Bevelle all day probably." Yuna reminded her as she picked up her toddler son.

"Oh, that's right. Give Rikku my best." Lulu gestured for her son to drink his tea.

"I will, and thanks again for this." Yuna waved the brochure at her to say goodbye.

As Lulu automatically checked her son over to make sure he cleaned himself properly, she wondered at Yuna's revelations. It really wasn't like her to be so cruelly petty to think her beloved cousin shouldn't be a mother just because of her relationship with her husband. Lulu couldn't think of anything more horrible than if she had lost Vidina and never been able to have any others. Baralai and Rikku were both grown adults, and as long as they were happy, was it really anyone's business? She definitely wouldn't tell Wakka, not only because it was a private matter, but he just wouldn't get it. Lulu loved her husband dearly, but she knew his limitations.

"Miss Alase has arrived, sir." the butler informed Baralai.

"Thank you. Please show her to the terrace with the other guests." he replied.

"Very good, sir." the butler said and left the study.

"No, you are to stay here." Baralai told Trophy when she started to follow him out.

"Why, Master?" she asked, going back to his side as he made a quick phone call, only giving a couple affirmatives to whoever was on the other end before hanging up.

"You'll find out." he promised her. "In the meantime…"

Curious to find out what he was up to, as well as eager to satisfy their mutual desires, Trophy's smile matched his own as he pulled her into his lap. "What shall I do for you, Master?"

"Stop _talking_ , for starters." he said before kissing her. He was eternally glad his slave wife was getting better. There were still bad days for her, but nothing like she had been going through.

"And just where are the Lord and Lady of the house?" Alase asked the butler pointedly as he led her down the hallway to the doors leading to the terrace.

"Not to be disturbed." the butler replied, trying to keep his composure as they walked past the study doors and barely audible noises came through the thick wooden panels.

"Lady Yuna, Sir Tidus, Miss Alase is here." the butler said to the couple sitting near the firepit after he opened the doors to the terrace. "I will be back momentarily with the appetizers."

"It's nice to finally meet you two properly." Alase told them, feeling unhappy that Baralai seemed to be ignoring her. She had so much more to offer someone like him than some unrefined blonde Al Bhedian bimbo.

"Oh?" Yuna was put off slightly by something in the woman's demeanor, and her voice wasn't that pleasant either.

"Yes, after all, you met my great-grandfather." she replied.

"Oh, who was he?" Tidus asked distractedly, wanting the butler to return with some decent food. He and Yuna had been waiting quite a while for the guest to show up and he was getting hungry.

"Grand Maester Mika." Alase replied, bowing her head with a deliberate show of a mournful respect.

After a tense lunch, Yuna and Tidus were surprised when Alase's attitude suddenly turned casual. "I was expecting to see the Lord and Lady of the manor, any idea how she's doing? It was so _awful_ what happened to her, wasn't it?" she asked, and they were interrupted before Yuna could give Alase the nasty reply she was about to.

"We're right here." Baralai said, walking out onto the terrace with Trophy.

"What are they here for?" Alase frowned when Gatta and three of his men entered behind the couple, all with grim expressions on their faces.

"To give you my answer." Baralai replied smugly and gestured for Gatta to proceed.

"Alase, we are placing you under arrest for conspiracy to commit treason." Gatta told her as one of the men approached her with shackles.

"What are you talking about?" Alase protested. "Get him away from me!"

"While you were enjoying your meal, we conducted a search of your current residence and found all the evidence we needed." Gatta replied as Alase was shackled.

"Anything you found was my brother's, not mine!" she continued to protest.

"You aided and abetted him, making you guilty as well." Baralai pointed out.

"You all deserved it! You're the real traitors!" she snapped, her face turning ugly.

"What treason?" Everyone wanted to know as Alase was led away.

"That's the bad…and good news I have for you." Baralai said, more to his wife than Yuna and Tidus.

"What's the bad news first?" Trophy asked hesitantly as he poured them all a glass of wine.

"It wasn't an accident what happened to you." he explained gently after taking a sip from his glass. "You weren't supposed to be injured during the hurricane, you were supposed to be killed."

" _ **What**_?!" The single word burst out of everyone simultaneously.

"Alase made me suspicious when she came here and offered to replace you." Baralai laid a comforting hand on his slave wife's shoulder. "She let it slip unintentionally I'm sure, when she implied that my marriage is what brought the devastation to our home, and with the recent attacks on the Al Bhed, I launched a quiet investigation. She really didn't have anything to do with the attack on you, she just turned a blind eye, wanting to take advantage of the situation." He paused to take another sip of his wine. "That leads me to the good news. You never have to doubt that it wasn't your fault, you were targeted, and the hurricane just gave them a great cover, thanks to the mages they had on their payroll."

Trophy's eyes filled up with tears as she digested his revelations that she was still hated because of who she was. "But…it doesn't really matter, does it? I still can't be a mother, can I?"

"I wouldn't say that." Yuna took a deep breath as she pulled the brochure out of her purse. "Lulu gave me this with her regards to give to you."

"New surrogacy program seeking volunteers." Trophy read the cover out loud.

"I…I'd like to volunteer for you two." Yuna said quietly. Baralai and Trophy looked at her in surprise, so she elaborated. "I feel terrible about how I acted, and I want to make it up to you."

"Yunie!" Trophy hugged her cousin ecstatically. "Does this mean you…"

"I can't honestly say I approve, but you're family and I don't want to lose you." Yuna replied.

"Do you want to accept?" Baralai asked Trophy. He was willing to be childless as long as he had her, so he would make the decision hers.

"Yes!" Trophy exclaimed, unable to prevent a few tears from falling as her beloved cousin hugged her back.

"Um, how about a toast then?" Tidus finally spoke. He was surprised as they were at Yuna's offer, but he was happy that she was acting like herself again towards them. "How about…"

"To family!" Trophy blurted out, which sounded great to everyone.

"To family!" They all chanted as they raised and clinked their glasses together.


	7. Chapter 7

"Please, Master!" Trophy begged as her body writhed sensuously on the dining room table where he had her partially restrained, with her hands tied up.

"Please, what?" Baralai asked her.

"Please finish fucking me!" she pleaded.

"Then say it." he demanded as he pinned her arms above her head and her legs with his own to hold her still. "Say it!" he snapped when she didn't reply right away.

Trophy gave up her futile attempts to get him inside her and ceased struggling, bowing her head in submission. "Happy anniversary, Master." she said obediently.

"Happy anniversary, Trophy." Baralai smiled as he forcibly took his willing slave wife.

"Did I make a good present for you, Master?" Trophy asked as they were enjoying the afterglow.

"Your performance was excellent as usual." he praised her.

"But our dessert…" she said as she noticed the untouched decadent chocolate cake still on the plate waiting to be sliced and enjoyed.

"I'll show you something special for that later…but first I should give you my present, shouldn't I?" he casually remarked, smiling again at her excited response to him.

"Oh yes, please Master!" she exclaimed.

Just as Baralai got off the table, the hymn of the fayth started playing, and he rummaged through his discarded clothes and pulled out his phone. "Hello?" he answered discouragingly, not at all happy at the interruption. "Now?! Of course, we'll be there as soon as we can."

"What is it, Master?" Trophy asked, becoming intrigued at his reaction to the call. The look of awestruck surprise on his face was new to her.

"Get dressed." he ordered her as he started to himself. "We've got an unexpected present…Yuna just went into labor. Gippal's on his way here to give us a lift."

"Oh!" Trophy hurried to get her clothes on.

The flight to Mt. Gagazet seemed to take forever for Trophy, and she passed the time by going over the past year in her head. The constant time spent at the medical research facility between Djose and the Moonflower until Yuna was successfully impregnated with her own fertilized egg had been helpful in taking her mind off the revelations that kept coming over and over again…

Leblanc hadn't been willing to help them at first, still bitter that she would never be with Nooj and Trophy's part in it, but the threat of facing charges for conspiracy like Alase changed her mind. It had disturbed them all to learn that the resurgence of hatred against the Al Bhed was because of their part in helping Yuna bring the Eternal Calm, destroying the order of Yevon and any use for summoners in the process. People had secretly nursed their grievances until vengeance became all they could think of. Trophy was a target not only because the leader of New Yevon marrying the leader of the Al Bhed's daughter was unforgivable to them, and they also wanted to make Yuna suffer as well, stripping her of everything important as punishment for her 'crimes'. So Kimahri offered Yuna and her family sanctuary on Mt. Gagazet for the duration of the pregnancy, her location kept well hidden from everyone, who were only told she was taking a sabbatical.

Baralai was also fighting impatience, but he was distracting himself with thoughts of the future. Remembering that they were interrupted from their private celebration, he pulled a small box out of his pocket. "Hold out your hand." he ordered his slave wife, placing the box on it once she obeyed. "Now open it."

"A butt plug, Master?" she asked after looking inside the box.

"The room is finished." he explained. "And I wanted you to have that before we christen it, because…"

"My ass is yours." she repeated automatically, looking adoringly at him. "Thank you, Master." She had confessed her nightmares to him, and after talking about it for a while, she also admitted that she was more scared that they might actually be some hidden/repressed desire of hers than she was of essentially being held prisoner and raped. So after more discussion, they decided to make some adjustments to the playroom, building that little 'prison cell' exactly as it had been in her nightmares, and the next time they had a party there, she would be chained up naked in there, and it would be open season on her. They each had their own stipulations though. She wanted the neck collar to be customized somehow so it would release her if she whispered their safe word and she could return to her Master's side,. He didn't mind her getting firsthand experience with other Masters, and probably a few Mistresses, but Baralai wanted her ass to remain for him alone, and she had agreed, hence the butt plug. Looking at it in the box, all she could think of was how lucky she was…her Master was giving her the support she needed to face and overcome her fears, and to her this was a symbol of that unwavering support. She would always be his, so her fear of being abandoned by him was definitely meaningless.

"How is she?" Trophy asked Kimahri when they arrived.

"Come this way." he replied in his usual taciturn way as he turned and started walking down the snowy path, leaving Baralai and Trophy to follow him. They started hearing Yuna's pained cries from the contractions halfway there, Tidus' supportive comments becoming audible a little bit later. They also heard a voice they didn't recognize.

"It's about time you're here, I don't think this is going to take much longer." Tidus exclaimed and when they entered the hot springs cavern, Yuna being attended by a Ronso midwife, a sign of the great esteem Yuna was held in by them, since most Ronso women gave birth on their own without any help. Only the Elder's mate was usually allowed the honor.

"Why the hot springs?" Trophy asked as she let Tidus drag her to Yuna's side, suddenly feeling reluctant to see this through.

"Khlarn said it's the best place for the 'hornless' to give birth." he explained.

"I'm glad you're here." Yuna panted, grabbing her cousin's hand. "Bracht wasn't like this."

"Twins." Khlarn finally spoke as she finished checking Yuna over.

"Twins?" Baralai uttered as everyone stared at Khlarn in surprise.

"Oh I…" Yuna stopped talking as she was hit by the strongest contraction yet, and things proceeded from there. Khlarn started chanting something they didn't understand as she put her hands on Yuna's stomach again, and then urged her to push.

"Head visible. Push harder!" Khlarn said. A few moments later, the first baby was delivered.

"What's wrong?" Baralai asked Trophy when she didn't take the baby from Khlarn who was holding the newborn girl out to her.

"I…am I really her mother?" Trophy sobbed, her emotions running the gamut from joy to despair, and she realized it started when she saw Khlarn. Their own midwife Dolna had been part of the conspiracy, and it was her being pregnant that sent them over the edge, considering the unborn child an abomination.

Baralai took their daughter from Khlarn just in time as the other baby was ready as well. "Hold your daughter." he gently told her, but her hands wouldn't stop trembling, so he supported her just as Tidus took the boy from Khlarn to hand to them.

"I'm…I'm glad you have your family now, Rikku." Yuna said tiredly.

"Thanks to you, Yunie." Trophy couldn't quit crying, not caring what her cousin called her right now. "I didn't know…"

"None of us knew it was twins, but two babies for our second anniversary works, doesn't it?" Baralai asked her as he took hold of their son.

"It's not that." Trophy said brokenly. "I…we wanted to be surprised if we were having a boy or a girl, so I don't know what we lost."

"What we lost is in the past now." he reminded her. "This is our future."

"I know, but can we name her Saudade, Master?" she asked.

"And what of our son?" he wanted to know.

"How about Yunan?" she suggested.

"Very well." he agreed.

Their daughter started crying then, followed by their son, and Trophy couldn't resist loving them anymore. Baralai helped her hold their twins as she tried to soothe them, since she never had any real experience with babies. "Why aren't they stopping crying?" she asked.

"Hungry." Khlarn said.

Sadness now started to overcome her again as she had to relinquish them so they could be taken back to Yuna for their first feeding. "Will they still love me even though I'm only half a mother?"

"There's no such thing as half a mother." Yuna managed to summon enough energy to speak. "I had doubts about myself when I had Bracht. It's perfectly natural."

As soon as the twins had drunk their fill, they fell asleep, giving their parents a chance to reclaim them. "It's a good thing we've got plenty of formula at home." Baralai said.

Gippal came hurrying into the cavern. "How's everything going? Fine it looks like, congratulations you guys! But it's getting late, do you want to head home now?"

"Are you coming too?" Trophy asked her cousin.

"No, I've been too spoiled with these hot springs, I think I'll stay another day or two." Yuna replied sleepily as Tidus picked her up to carry her to their special cave accommodations. "I want to enjoy them now that I can get out of a chair again without a crane."

"Then let's go home, _Mom_." Baralai said.

"Yes, Master." she replied and let him lead her to the airship. "I love you two." she told them as they took off, thinking that he was right, they needed to focus on the future. Memories are nice, but that's all they are, she reminded herself. "I'll do everything I can for you two." she promised them.


End file.
